Batman: The Common Denominator
by Skoellya Seyth
Summary: Nightwing has another argument with Batman and Catwoman is looking to find the Dark Knight. Accidental meeting where Catwoman shows a softer side, but they still manage to annoy eachother whilst talking about the common denominator between them.


**This takes place on a rooftop, but it's not exactly a gag so it gets its own little spot rather than with my other one shots. I was just thinking that Catwoman isn't written as talking to Nightwing all that much but the characters have been around since the golden age. But if they _are_ going to talk, who do you think they talk about? I wrote this entire piece today in a hour or two and have checked for spelling errors but I apologise if I miss anything. **

**Disclaimer: Umm... once upon a time or maybe twice there was no copyright even for an instant, which meant you could run off and claim the characters. Of course there are more worthwhile uses of a time-machine... but I'd make a bundle.****

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Nightwing sighed and sat down heavily on the edge of the rooftop, watching the streets of Gotham almost aimlessly whilst the conversation ran through his head. It hadn't been much different from the other arguments they'd had over the years. He'd maybe come a little to close to being hit again and Bruce would almost freak out about it. He looked at his side where there was a thin slash in his uniform. It was barely bleeding. He looked a bit closer at the darkening patch. Ok, maybe a bit more than he thought. He pulled out some gauze out of his glove compartment with his teeth as he applied pressure to the wound.

'So what's the big bird doing sulking on a rooftop?' A female voice called out from behind him.

'What are you doing here, Selina?' Nightwing growled without turning around. His mood less than cheerful than his usual self.

'Looking for taller darker and handsomer, of course,' Catwoman stepped forward into the light, her head tilted she held an inquisitive expression. 'And something tells me he's been here.'

'He's not here now.' He said glancing back at the leather clad defender of the East End of Gotham.

'Uh huh.' Catwoman shook her head. 'Look kid-'

'Kid?' Nightwing interrupted resentfully.

'Junior,' Selina teased with an amused grin.

'Thanks.' He muttered sarcastically.

'I thought it was improvement,' She continued lightly, leaning back against a chimney stack. 'You having issues with daddy bat again?'

Nightwing mumbled something as he continued to fumble with the wound, relieved somewhat to find the bleeding stopped.

'Oh great,' Catwoman grumbled herself, half hoping the birdie would take the bait to blow off some steam about his father figure and half hoping the other way that he would run off and ignore her so she could go home and have a shower, since tonight was inevitably going to be ruined anyway.

'What?' The young vigilante snapped his head around and gave her an intense stare.

'He gets almost unbearable when you two have one of your run-ins. It's not much fun to play our little game.' She laughed a little when she saw him wince at the implications of her last sentence since her and Bruce were officially a couple and not trying to kill, catch or maim each other…

'It's just…' Nightwing stopped and glanced away again.

'Don't even get me started on when you decided to fly off to New York. He was a misery for months.' She purred for a moment, musing about their extensive history chasing each-others tails 'Although the time I stole the Bast broach from the museum _was_ enjoyable.'

'He doesn't trust me to take care of myself.' He spoke quickly and softly but Catwoman heard every word.

So there it was. Catwoman stopped herself from rolling her eyes when she realised she had to be nice to the mini bat now. He trusted her enough to let her in on what he was thinking, which was a rare show of loyalty from someone you used to run away from and call names… when he was ten. He'd actually come closer to catching her than Batman had before he reached puberty, Although there was no way she was letting the little twerp know that.

She snorted, shaking her head and earned a glare from the hero. Ok, well she was being nice for _her_. 'Of _course_ he doesn't.' She caught the surprised look and elaborated 'He holds himself responsible for everyone and everything around him; he _knows_ you _can_ look after yourself but he doesn't like it and it's ok.' She smiled wryly. 'He's your Dad.' Dick looked up in shock at the blunt observation, she seemed to be the only one in their small circle in Gotham that could really describe the relationship between him and Bruce so clearly. There was a shadow of a smile on his face when he realised that out of all of them Selina was the most truthful about what she was, a reformed thief who really could give Batman a run for his money.

She knew if she were anyone else she'd have been strung up from a gargoyle by then, but she continued anyway 'He may be a stuck up Boy Scout and anally retentive a hell of the lot of the time and-'

'You get really descriptive in your insults for him y'know?' Nightwing interrupted, finally relinquishing a lopsided grin, before she got too carried away.

Selina smiled and shrugged modestly, 'I try.' Her expression turned serious. 'It's not that he doesn't trust you personally with his life or anything it's that he blames himself and does the whole grand gesture thing of saying he has to be the tragic hero and no one else gets hurt which by the looks of things he probably passed on down to you.'

'Hm.' He didn't enjoy being compared to Bruce but he'd be an idiot if he didn't admit to himself they shared some similarities.

'And it doesn't help that you're one of the people closest to him and his greatest fear is losing people he cares about, am I right Junior?' She spoke triumphantly.

'Don't call me junior,' He growled again, which Selina found to be an amusingly familiar response to what his mentor did whenever he wanted to avoid a question. The kid wasn't all that bad, not really.

'Twerp.'

'Kitty Litter.' Catwoman hissed but she matched his challenging grin.

'You really need some new material,' Selina observed. She liked the way the nicknames she'd used for him when he was younger stuck, although the ones he used against _her _weren't exactly flattering either. However it made it kind of nostalgic. Sometimes it would be nice to be a villainess again.

'What works best...' Nightwing tilted his head in a short bow.

'Did you_ have_ to use so many cat puns?'

'Hey! It's not like they were_ catastrophically_ bad.' He spoke with a dead pan expression which slowly turned into a smirk at Catwoman's pained face.

Selina growled warningly. 'Don't.'

'Eh, I'm not going to mess with an ex-villainess,' Nightwing seemingly defeated gazed back to the street. Catwoman didn't see him pause and then grin wickedly as he continued. 'but I suppose you'll be _bat_ting for _his _attention soon.'

'Firstly, I told you to stop and secondly, what do you mean?' Catwoman narrowed her eyes.

'What makes you think I have to listen to you if I ignore Batman?' Nightwing replied, affronted, standing up with his arms folded. 'And I've been listening in on Oracle co-ordinating the troops, he's about five blocks south of here.'

'Mmmm…' Catwoman put a finger on her lips, thoughtfully before hopping to the opposite ledge of the roof Nightwing was. 'Oh and you know why you should listen to me?'

'… No…' Nightwing answered unsure if he wanted to hear her answer.

'I've always had the talent of putting the Dark Knight in a _spin_.' Selina called back as she slunk off the roof, allowing Nightwing to see her sultry smile. She laughed warmly as she left the young vigilante wincing with the bad imagery her suggestiveness produced, until she realised that if this relationship lasted, which it could after all these years of foreplay, she would be his step-mother, almost. He wasn't the only one cringing as they faded back into the night.

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**Hope you liked. I don't mind who they have Batman with in the comics as long as it isn't Talia although with R'as there it never lasts. (Is he dead? Isn't he? I may never know) However I do like Catwoman- she has an interesting dynamic as a character. I'd love to know what you think: if you love it, hate it or think it's "meh" let me know. **


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